Dread wasn't entirely sure why Halo was so insistent he visit, but who was he to argue? She'd come with gifts, she'd come with snacks. Between that and his latest assignment, and the end of market season on top of it all, any reasons he had to skip the trip had been outweighed entirely. It didn't make the trip any shorter, though. There's also the part of his brain that says he should do this one alone.
Passing through the Willows, Dread figures he should get himself... together. Before facing whatever was waiting for him. Setting his pack down heavily on the soft earth and slipping into one of the pools, the boy hops into the water. Scrubbing himself clean in the chilly pond, wriggling and coming up... well, not perfect, but better than he was before.
Shaking his coat free of pond water, Dread tucked himself beneath a willow to have a snack and drip dry. Afternoon would turn to evening soon enough, and he should be on his way soon.
Bard
